Building Efficiency, A complex model for simulating occupants’ electricity use behavior within office buildings

Demand and supply of energy is taking its toll, where energy production and consumption are considered as key contributors for environmental issues. The built environment accounts for approximately 35% of the total Dutch energy consumption. More than half is used in commercial sector such as office buildings. Furthermore 80 percent of CO2 emissions take place during the operational phase of a building when energy is used for heating, cooling, electrical appliances, lighting and others.

Saving energy is increasingly becoming more top priority and vital in mitigating climate change. For the Netherlands, the progress towards energy efficiency has fallen behind the targets of the 2020 climate objective the European Union has agreed upon. The government will emphatically call on municipalities, market leaders and consumer organizations to contribute and work together to bring energy policies into effect. Their strategy is based on the Trias Energetica where energy management, reducing CO2 emission by reducing the demand for energy, is the first and crucial part of this strategy.